Three Brothers Of Old
by dinosoprano
Summary: What really happened when the three brothers received the Deathly Hallows? This is a revamped telling on the Tale of the Three Brothers.
1. A Chance Meeting

**Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter or the Tales of Beedle the Bard. I do own the OC known as Death to the Brothers though. Enjoy this retold tale of how the Peverell Brothers got the Deathly Hallows. This is actually kind of a supplement to Nymph if I ever get around to writing it. It's taking a lot more planning than I had planned (though some encouragement would be appreciated.) **

"Antioch, we have been walking for ages. Cannot we take a break?" Cadmus asked stumbling yet again over a hidden stone. Antioch stopped and wiped the sweat from his brow with his cloak. Then he turned around as Ignotus, the youngest, collapsed on a tree stump.

"Just let him go," Ignotus gasped clutching a stitch in his side. "One cow is not that big of a loss."

"It is a _very_ big loss, Ignotus," Antioch retorted. "That is several gallons of milk we will not sell and a weeks' worth of food we cannot buy."

"We have fifty-two cows, we will not starve," Cadmus grumbled. "It is not like we are poor."

"If we do nothing now the thief will return and he might bring friends," Antioch scolded his brothers.

"How do we know that the cow did not just wander off? It is not like they are intelligent," Ignotus said. Antioch gave him a withering look before storming off into the woods. Cadmus rolled his eyes and Ignotus sighed in exhaustion and then they followed their elder brother. It wasn't long before the sound of running water reached their ears. They broke through the undergrowth and into a wide, open meadow. A large, fast-moving river split it in half.

"We do not have to cross that do we? I mean, how would the thief get the cow across?" Ignotus asked nervously.

"Easy," Antioch said pulling his wand out of his pocket. "He built a bridge."

Cadmus frowned. "I do not see a bridge."

"That is because he Vanished it," Antioch snapped.

"Antioch, why would a wizard steal a cow?" Cadmus demanded. "They could just transfigure one out of a water goblet!"

Antioch glared viciously silencing his younger brother. "You just want to go home. Fine, go, Ignotus and I will catch the thief and you can muck out the cow pen."

Cadmus glowered but didn't move. Antioch nodded in satisfaction.

"On the count of three we will build a bridge," he said. Cadmus and Ignotus pulled out their wands. The three brothers raised their wands.

"One," Antioch said confidently.

"Two," Cadmus quavered.

"Three," Ignotus gulped. The three waved their wands in unison and a magnificent bridge appeared over the river. Antioch smirked and took a confident step forward. The sun went out. Cadmus screamed and clutched Ignotus who stood poker stiff, eyes wide in terror. Antioch clutched his wand glaring into the darkness, willing the culprit out into the open. It was no use, not an inch of light was in the vicinity.

"Lumos," Antioch muttered. His wand sputtered but no light came on. How was that possible? Antioch tried to ignore the twisting feeling in his gut. Someone powerful was messing with them. It was certainly no thief.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," Cadmus muttered to himself looking this way and that trying to see _something_. He was shaking so badly that he couldn't hold his wand straight. Ignotus was still rooted to the spot, knuckles white around his wand.

"Cadmus, do be quiet, I need to listen!" Antioch snapped barely above a whisper. Cadmus stuck his fist in his mouth to deaden his voice. Antioch strained his ears. He could no longer hear the river. Was he still next to it? The birds had stopped singing as well. Even the gentle breeze had vanished to be replaced by a cold, stagnant air.

A twig snapped somewhere to their left. Cadmus yelped and released Ignotus, running away from the sound. He ran headlong into Antioch knocking them both to the ground.

"Cadmus, you imbecile! You cannot just leave Ignotus by himself!" Antioch shouted forgetting about the twig in his anger. Cadmus didn't respond. Either he had not heard his brother or he was ignoring him. He had pulled himself into a fetal position, his face hidden, body shaking violently. Antioch shoved his brother off his lap and stood up. He wished he could see where Ignotus was.

"Get up you useless lump!" Antioch shouted giving Cadmus a swift kick in the ribs.

"No! I do not want to meet whoever turned the sun off!" Cadmus said.

"No one can turn the sun off," Antioch scoffed.

"Then what the hell just happened?" Cadmus demanded in a muffled voice.

A bloodcurdling scream rent the air. Cadmus looked up abruptly then pulled back into the fetal position repeating "Oh no," in a high pitched wail. Antioch whipped around trying to see Ignotus.

"Igno-oof!" Antioch felt a body slam into him for the second time as Ignotus collided with him. Both tumbled to the ground. Ignotus clutched the front of his brother's robes trying to feel safe again. Antioch forced Ignotus up so they could sit facing each other.

"Ignotus, what happened? What did you see?" Antioch asked urgently.

"I want to go home!" Ignotus wailed.

"You need to tell me what you saw," Antioch insisted. "Then we can go home."

"I don't know! I couldn't tell for sure but I think…I think they were…eyes. Glowing white eyes without pupils."

Ignotus began to cry. Antioch was shocked. Ignotus hadn't cried since he had reached his eighteenth summer. Whatever he had seen had terrified him. Cadmus had sat up. He reached a hand to Ignotus' shoulder. He may have been a coward but his brothers meant everything to him.

"We need to get out of here, Antioch," Cadmus said quietly, his voice shaky.

"I know-"

"Who dare defies me?" a cold voice asked. The brothers clutched each other in horror. They had never heard a voice like that before. It was a deep baritone with a whispered echo a beat behind. It was bone-chilling.

"Wh-who are you?" Antioch stammered bravely.

"I am thine worst fear, Antioch Peverell," the voice said. Cadmus let out a small squeak hiding behind Antioch. Ignotus leaned into Antioch clearly terrified.

"H-how d-do you kn-know m-m-my n-n-name?" Antioch stammered, his wand held tightly in his shaking hand. Suddenly, a pair of gleaming white eyes shone through the gloom. Ignotus hid his face in Antioch's chest. The eyes had no pupils. A dark purple light began to outline the figure of a tall, broad, muscular man. The light showed that the man wore nothing but a deerskin loin cloth and a wolf pelt cloak. On his head sprouted a pair of regal antlers.

"That river has claimed many lives for me…until now," the deer man began to walk towards them.

"Please, we weren't trying to cross you! We were following a thief!" Cadmus cried.

"Silence mortal!" the man shouted. Cadmus ducked behind Antioch again. "No man has ever escaped me. I shall reward thee for thine…_luck_."

He said the last word with so much venom that the brothers flinched. Antioch swallowed and faced the man.

"What do mean reward us?" he asked. Something felt very wrong around this man, if he was even close to being a man.

"For Antioch Peverell I give thee a wand of elder." An extremely long wand appeared between the deer man and the brothers. Antioch couldn't help it. He was drawn toward the wand. He could feel the power of it as though it were calling to him.

"I already have a wand," he managed to say weakly, still staring at the wand.

"This wand is different, no being alive has a wand such as this," the deer man said. "It will only answer to thee; no other being could wield its power. It will never fail in a duel for it cannot be beat."

Slowly, Antioch stood. An unbeatable wand…he could finally settle his dispute with Antonius Mooreheart. The man did not deserve to live after he had dishonored the Peverell's cousin. He could fight off every thief, every villain, who threatened his home and family. He'd be unstoppable.

"Take it and use it wisely, young Peverell," the man said. He released the wand and it hung in midair for a moment. Then it slowly floated over to Antioch's hand. Antioch's hands went limp and his wand fell out of his hand. He reached for the unbeatable wand. Once it touched his hand it glowed a violent red and then went dark like the rest of the surroundings. Antioch spun it in his hand in awe. Cadmus and Ignotus stared at him.

"I do not like this," Ignotus whispered.

"Silence, Ignotus Peverell," the man hissed. Ignotus shrank into Antioch. "For Cadmus Peverell, I give thee a stone of resurrection." A stone appeared hovering over the man's hand. It too glowed a violent red. Cadmus stood a little straighter. Had he heard right? A stone of resurrection?

"I b-b-beg your p-p-pardon?" Cadmus stuttered sure he had heard wrong.

"Turn this stone three times and all thine lost loved ones shall return to thee," the man said sending the stone to Cadmus. Cadmus caught the stone as it fell. He stared at it, trembling as he thought about his darling Sophia who had died the week before they were to be wed. Now they could be.

"Finally, for Ignotus Peverell, I give thee mine own cloak of invisibility," the man said. Antioch and Cadmus looked up from their gifts in surprise. Ignotus pulled away from Antioch just enough to look at the frightening man. From off his wolf skin cloak he pulled a shimmering invisibility cloak. It looked like no other invisibility cloak the brothers had ever seen. There was no sheen like one made from Demiguise hair and it made no noise as the man sent it over to Ignotus. Ignotus caught it. It was lighter than air and softer and smoother than any fabric he had ever touched. He looked at the man in awe.

"Cherish these gifts," the man said. "For this is the day you escaped Death."

With that the man vanished and everything came rushing back; the sunlight, the birdsong, the murmuring river and the ground. The three brothers toppled over in surprise, blinded and deafened by everything around them. Antioch sat up first, blinking rapidly to try and adjust to the sudden light. Cadmus groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. He got up on his knees and rubbed his eyes furiously. Ignotus just lay where he fell not sure what was real anymore.

Antioch looked at the wand in his hand. The power he thought he had felt was gone. It looked any other wand. It felt like any other wand. He pointed it at the bridge and Vanished it. He barely flicked it and the deed was done. Antioch stared in shock. For a brief moment he had felt that power again.

"Are you all right, Cadmus?" Antioch asked. Cadmus nodded. He picked up the stone he had dropped. There was nothing special about the appearance of this rock. It simply looked a like a pebble smoothed by a creek.

Antioch crawled over to Ignotus. "You okay, Ignotus?" he asked.

"I…I think so," Ignotus said weakly. "Can we go home now?"

Antioch couldn't help it. He started to laugh. Ignotus gave a small grin and began to chuckle too. Even Cadmus couldn't help but join in. Soon the three brothers were laughing hysterically.

"You realize no one is going to believe us, right?" Cadmus gasped. "Hey everybody, we just met Death himself and he was so impressed by us he gave us an unbeatable wand, a resurrection stone and his very own cloak of invisibility!"

Antioch stopped laughing. It so abrupt that his brothers stopped too and looked at him.

"Antioch?" Ignotus asked warily.

"Cadmus is right," Antioch said. "Nobody will believe us and before you two start arguing with me I say we keep this encounter to ourselves. If anyone asks, we bumped into a lord and he granted us these gifts for saving his daughter or something."

"Would not one of us get his daughter?" Cadmus asked. Antioch gave him a withering look.

"We should go; the sun is near the western horizon. We will not make it home before sunset," Ignotus said glancing between his brothers.

"Let us go home then," Antioch said helping Ignotus to his feet. Cadmus frowned but stood up too. He slipped his stone into the leather pouch at his side. Ignotus gingerly folded up his new cloak and put it in his leather pouch. Then the three brothers set off for their home in the late afternoon sun.


	2. The First Brother

**A/N: I still don't own Harry Potter or the Tales of Beedle the Bard but one day I will be a paleontologist and that amounts to the same thing, right? **

It had been several months since the Peverell brothers had met Death. They had told no one of the encounter, not even their mother when she had tearfully hugged them at the door demanding to know where they had been. On top of all that, the cow they believed to have been stolen turned up the next morning with the rest of herd as though nothing had happened. Cadmus and Ignotus were not pleased and Antioch apologized profusely for leading them on a wild goose chase.

It was late summer now and Antioch was in the local tavern of a town about a weeks' worth of travel from his home having a drink after a long day of haggling. The nerve of some of these folks never ceased to amaze him. A late afternoon storm had blown in so Antioch was treating himself until it passed and he was able to head home. His lifted his tankard to his lips as the front door was thrown open. Thunder clapped overheard and the wind howled as it was funneled through the doorway. A large man filled the entryway.

Antioch set his tankard down as the man entered and pulled his cloak off. Antioch glared. It was Antonius Mooreheart. Antioch fingered his new wand. It had been a wonderful asset but it didn't make him feel any more powerful than he already was. Did he dare try it on Antonius? The man was an accomplished dueler who had never lost a fight.

Antonius saw Antioch watching him and grinned. He hung his coat on an elk rack and sauntered over. Antioch's hand clenched around the handle of his tankard.

"Well, if it is not little ole Antioch Peverell. I thought I told you never to come back here after I crushed you in our duel over your pathetic cousin," Antonius mocked. The tavern fell quiet as everyone turned to watch the two men.

Antioch refused to answer. He kept his eyes on his tankard. He was better than this. He was breathing heavily and could feel his knuckles turning white.

"I see, trying to ignore me now," Antonius chuckled. Antioch heard him slip his wand out of his belt.

"I would not do that if I were you," Antioch said calmly.

"I beg your pardon?" Antonius asked with a snort.

"I would not pull your wand out if I were you," Antioch said.

"And why not?" Antonius said unnerved by how calm Antioch was.

"I would hate to embarrass you in front of all your friends," Antioch said. There was a pause before Antonius started to laugh. A few of the folks in the tavern joined in as well.

"I would like to see you try," Antonius said. "I had you pinned in two seconds flat last-"

But he didn't have time to finish his sentence as he was flung to the nearest wall and pinned. His wand fell to the floor at his feet. Antioch stood up slowly, his wand tilted up ever so slightly. Antonius stood frozen against the wall, only his eyes able to move.

"I warned you," Antioch said softly. "I warned you to stay away from my family and you did not listen. I warned you not to pick a fight with me and yet you have. Now it is time to teach you a lesson." He barely flicked his wand and Antonius collapsed to the floor. "Pick up your wand," he said. Antonius stayed put breathing heavily. Then, he roared, grabbed his wand and hit Antioch with a Stunning spell.

Accept, he wasn't frozen. Antioch held his wand up and it soaked in the spell. The crowd in tavern began to murmur. Wands were not meant to do that. How hand Antioch done it. Antonius huffed in surprise.

"What black magic is this?"he demanded. Antioch smiled.

"It's not," he said. Suddenly, the Stunning Spell shot out of the wand. Antonius dove out of the way just in time. From the floor he shot a Disarming Spell. Antioch put up a Shield Charm and then shot out his own Disarming Spell only to miss because Antonius flung a chair in the way. Enraged, Antonius stood up and directed a Blasting Spell at Antioch. Antioch deflected it with his Shield Charm and it ricocheted into the ale barrels causing them to explode. Several people screamed as they were soaked in ale and hit with wood. Antioch sent another Disarming Spell in Antonius' direction but it collided with a Stunning Spell sent by the man himself.

"Have you been practicing for this?" Antonius said shooting another Blasting Spell. Antioch deflected it into a decorative elk head and it exploded.

"No, I am not dueler, why would I practice?" he said easily shooting Stunning Spell at his opponent.

"Then how did you get so good?" Antonius demanded trying to Stun him again. Antioch redirected it at a man who had tried to rip him off earlier that afternoon. The man collapsed as the spell hit him.

"It is not me," Antioch finally replied. "I got a new wand and it is rather good at this dueling thing, is it not?"

Antonius shot another Blasting Spell but he was getting angry and his aim was off. Several people screamed as they dodged the spell. It hit the back wall and shattered all the alcohol above the terrified tavern keep. Furious that he missed Antonius began shooting spell after spell at Antioch but every one of them missed.

"You are getting sloppy Antonius," Antioch laughed. Antonius roared but before he could get another spell out, Antioch's Stunning Spell hit him in the chest. He flew back a few feet before skidding to a halt in front of the bar. The room fell silent. Antioch walked over to his fallen opponent. He kicked his wand out of his frozen.

"I win," Antioch said. "And if I ever see you in this tavern again, I'll kill you."

With that Antioch went back over to his seat and picked up his drink.

"That was amazing!" a man said clapping Antioch on the shoulder.

"That bully 'as 'ad it coming to 'im," a woman said with a sharp nod of the head.

"Can I buy you another drink Mr. Peverell?" someone else asked.

"How did you really do it?" another asked. The crowd fell silent as Antioch finished off his tenth drink.

"You really want to know?" he asked as he slammed the empty tankard onto the table.

"Yes!"

"Of course!"

"Please!?"

The crowd fell silent as Antioch raised his hands for quiet. He motioned for another drink. A woman hurriedly handed one to him. The crowd watched raptly as he took a swig and set it on the table.

"I was not lying when I said it was not me doing the fighting," Antioch slurred. "You see, a few months ago I ran into Death himself," he said dramatically. Many of the women gasped. "I built a bridge over his river and he was so impressed I escaped him that he gave me this."

Antioch held up his wand. A few "ohs" ran through the crowd as he spun it in his hand.

"What is it made of?" the woman nearest Antioch asked.

"Elder wood," Antioch said.

"I thought elder was unpredictable for wands?" a man asked.

"So did I but Death assured me that this wand is unbeatable. I can never lose a duel with it," Antioch said. "And I think tonight's duel proved it."

"What a load of poppycock," another man said. "'Oo ever 'eard of an unbeatable wand?"

"If you do not believe me we can find out right now," Antioch said spinning his wand casually in his hand. The man grumbled but he didn't lift his wand to fight.

"You really met Death?" a young woman asked.

"In the flesh," Antioch said proudly taking another swig of ale.

"What was he like?" someone else asked.

"Terrifying," Antioch said. "I could only see his outline. He was able to shut the world off. He blackened the sun, deadened all noise, and he wore animal skins like a savage. All I could see with perfect clarity was his bright solid white eyes. Oh and his voice! It was like ice! It was deep and chilling to the bone."

"Well folks, sounds like this storm is not blowing out any time soon so if you are stickin' around, I am gonna need payment or rooms," the tavern keep said coming through the crowd.

Slowly the crowd dispersed as many raced out into the storm to get home. Antioch felt very tired and very drunk as he trudge up the stairs to his room in the tavern. He really shouldn't have let all those people by him drinks. It wasn't good for is health or his reputation. He just couldn't help it though. He had never felt like he belonged so much as he had tonight and that was a good feeling. He liked belonging. He couldn't wait to get home to tell his brothers that their cousin was finally avenged.

He plopped fully clothed onto his bed and was asleep before his head hit the pillow. When he awoke the next morning the sky was overcast but the rain had stopped. He was just putting the last of his things in his wagon when Antonius arrived. Antioch glared.

"I thought I told you never to come back to this tavern," he shouted. Antonius leapt off his horse and whipped out his wand. Without preamble he shot a Stunning Spell at Antioch. Antioch dove out of the way and the spell hit a bush. He whipped out his wand and fired his own Stunning Spell.

"I think you cheated last night you scumbag!" Antonius shouted shooting a Blasting Spell at Antioch. It hurtled over his head and hit and oak which promptly exploded and pelted Antioch with wooden debris.

"I did not!" Antioch shouted back firing a Disarming Charm at Antonius. "I won fair and square! I warn you if you do not leave now I will kill you!"

"I dare you!" Antonius roared firing another Blasting Spell. Again it hit a tree. Antioch dove behind his carriage. He took a deep breath and whipped around the back end.

"Avada Kedavra!" he shouted. The curse hit Antonius in the chest. He crumpled to the ground. Several women screamed and the men began to usher them back into the tavern. Antioch was breathing heavily. He hadn't wanted to kill. That had never been his intention. Antonius was just able to crawl under his skin and make him do things he never dreamed he ever would. He stared at the wand in his hand. Perhaps this wand was more trouble than it was worth. He shrugged and climbed onto his cart and set off down the dirt road.

It was dark before he reached the next town. He settled in at the inn and feeling awful, ordered several drinks. Before long he was boasting about his victory over Antonius and the miraculous wand that got him there. He boasted of its' power and how he would never lose a fight. Before long, he was in his room passed out in his clothes.

Late that night, as the full moon began to set, a man snuck into his room from down the hall. He had heard the boastful tales of Antioch and his unbeatable wand. He could use a wand like that. He could finally take back his Dukedom. As quietly as he could, he snuck over to the bed where Antioch lay. He snored loudly. Sitting loosely in his hand was the unbeatable wand of elder. Carefully, the man slipped the wand out of his hand and replaced it with his own. Then, to make sure he wasn't followed, the man pulled out a knife and slit Antioch's throat. Then, he swiftly left the room and bolted down the inn stairs and out to the stables where he saddled his horse and took off for Wales.

Antioch awoke feeling chilled. He could hear heavy breathing beside him. He sat up and yelped. His bed was soaked in blood. He rushed off the bed. Something wasn't right. He was off the bed and yet he was still lying in bed. That wasn't possible.

"It takes a moment for the realization to sink in," a familiar voice said. Antioch screamed and backed away from the door. Death stood in the doorway looking relaxed. Now that the room was filled with moonlight, he was much easier to see. Death was still frightening but the expression on his face was not one of contempt or hatred. He merely looked sad. In fact, had he contained pupils in his eyes, he might have been the kindest looking man Antioch had ever seen. Perhaps it was the empathetic look Death was giving him now, or perhaps it was because Antioch was disoriented but he didn't nearly as threatening as he had all those months ago.

"I-I don't understand," Antioch said.

"Look," Death said gesturing to the bed. Antioch looked. It was definitely him and it looked like his throat was the source of all the blood.

"I-this cannot be true!" he wailed. "I cannot be dead!"

"Perhaps you should have been more careful when telling your victory speech to strangers," Death said.

"W-what?" Antioch choked out.

"A greedy man in the crowd you entertained this evening snuck in here and killed you after taking the Elder Wand. I fear many people will die for that wand."

"If you knew that, then why did you give it to me?" Antioch demanded.

"That wand comes with a terrible price, especially for me," Death said. "I prefer that it get as far away from me as possible."

"I do not understand," Antioch said.

"And you probably never will," Death said. He held out one dark hand. "Come, it is time to leave the mortal world behind."

"What about my family?" Antioch asked.

"I assure you that they will be fine," Death said. Antioch took his hand gingerly.

"How come your speech has changed?" he asked.

"Oh, I do not normally speak like that," Death said with a grin as he opened up some sort of bright portal in the wall. "I was going for intimidating."

_And so Death took the first brother as his own. _


	3. The Second Brother

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews I have received! I am hoping for many more to come! Hopefully this will help me get back into the swing of things! As always, I don't own Harry Potter or The Tales of Beedle the Bard. However, I do own copies of them. **

Cadmus left around the same time Antioch did but with a different destination in mind. He was headed for the home he had intended to share with Sophia. He hadn't stepped foot in the place since she had died but he couldn't bring himself to sell it either. Before he left for the estate, he told his son, Geoffrey, to help his Uncle Ignotus with the cows. Upon arriving at the estate, Cadmus waited quite some time before actually entering.

It wasn't a very big house, it only had three rooms, but he and Sophia had had so many grand plans for the place. He sat heavily on the only chair in the front room. He took a deep breath and pulled the stone out of his pocket. He stared at it, running his fingers over the smooth surface. Then he turned it once, twice…

"Sir, where would you like your things?" his manservant asked poking his head in the door. Cadmus jumped and quickly stuck the stone back in his pocket.

"You can just leave it in the hall. I will take care of it. Once it is all inside you may head back to the farm," Cadmus said fiddling nervously with his pocket. The manservant stared at him in concern.

"Are you certain you do not want me to…"

"No! I mean, no, it is fine. I am fine. I can handle being alone for a few days. My brother has more need of you than I do."

"As you wish, Sir," the manservant bowed and left through the open front door. Twenty minutes later, Cadmus watched as he took the horse and cart back down the dirt road back to the farm. He sighed in relief. He looked down at his pocket and slowly pulled the stone out. He took a deep breath and spun it once…twice…three times. He looked around expectantly. Nothing, the room was empty except for him and his luggage. He sighed dejectedly, hanging his head.

"It looks just as I remember it," a soft, lilting voice said. Cadmus' head snapped up and he spun around. There she stood in the dress she had been wearing the day she had died. Her hair was down and the dress was wrinkled but she looked healthier than she had in a long time. She was opaque and Cadmus could see the room through her but he didn't care. His Sophia was with him again.

"Sophia," he said reaching for her. She took a step back.

"You cannot touch me," she said sadly. "I am not really here, Cadmus. You pulled me from the realm of the dead. I am nothing more than a ghost. We can speak but that is all. Is that enough?"

"Anything is better than you not being here at all," Cadmus said as tears shone in his eyes. Sophia smiled.

"Good, you should get your things put away. We have a lot of catching up to do."

Cadmus smiled and thought _I can control death now. I need never lose anyone again. Take that Death!_

The two laughed loudly as Cadmus planted flowers in the little garden in front of the cottage. It had been three days since Sophia had returned to the world of the living. She listened with rapt attention to every word Cadmus said just like she had before her death. She had very little to say about where she came from. She could not remember very much of it. What she did know was that she had not been unhappy.

"Perhaps heaven is real and that is where I was," she had said when he asked her about it.

"I am happy to hear that our son has made a name for himself. I am also pleased to hear your family was so supportive. My only regret is that I could not be there to watch him grow. Is Geoffrey as handsome as you?" Sophia asked with a large grin on her face.

"Even more so, the ladies of the village cannot get enough of him," Cadmus chuckled. Sophia giggled. Cadmus had not been this happy in a very long time. He had missed Sophia's giggle and her smile and everything. He kept wondering how he had kept going without her.

"Have any of the ladies caught Geoffrey's eye?" Sophia asked kneeling beside Cadmus on the tilled earth.

"Not that I am aware of but he is a young adult. He probably would not tell me unless it was serious," Cadmus said planting a few seeds before covering them up with the soft soil. Sophia giggled again.

"I wish I could kiss you," Cadmus said looking up at her. Sophia's smile faltered a bit.

"Me too," she whispered.

A month had passed before Cadmus got the news of his older brother. Antioch was dead, slit throat in the middle of the night. Cadmus sat in his chair, a depression settling over him as he thought about Antioch. Sophia stood by the window looking at new shoots in the garden.

"I warned him!" Cadmus shouted shooting up out his chair and startling Sophia. He paced the room with her watching him. "I warned him not to tell anyone and the idiot went and boasted to every drunk in Wales! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he shouted kicking the chair repeatedly as tears fell down his face.

"Cadmus, stop!" Sophia said hurrying to his side. She placed her hands on him and flinched away. Her hands were ice cold. He stared at her through bloodshot eyes. She wrapped her arms around herself self-consciously.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"It's okay," Cadmus sniffled.

"I'm sorry about your brother," Sophia said. "Perhaps he went to heaven like I did."

Cadmus snorted. "I doubt it; his pride would certainly send him to hell if it exists."

"I am just trying to help," Sophia said in a hurt voice. Cadmus sighed and rubbed his nose.

"I know, I'm sorry,"

"You should attend his funeral," Sophia said gently. "You need closer."

Cadmus nodded and then looked up at her. "What about you?"

"I can come. Only you can see me," Sophia said.

"I must get ready for travel then," Cadmus said standing and clearing his tears.

The funeral was short and sweet. When the funeral party broke up and went to mingle, Ignotus walked over to Cadmus who had been standing a little way's off by himself. It had looked like he was talking to himself. Ignotus touched his shoulder to get his attention. Cadmus jumped.

"Are you all right, Cadmus?" Ignotus asked. "You look awfully pale."

"I am fine, apart from my brother being dead, everything is splendid," Cadmus said a nervous edge to his voice. Ignotus raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Well, I best be off, so much to do at the cottage and very little time to do it in," Cadmus said turning away. Ignotus caught his arm.

"We have not seen you in weeks! You promised you would still come and help out around the farm but you do not even look like you have left your house in days! Something is wrong, Cadmus, just tell me so I can help you!"

The concern in Ignotus' eyes made Cadmus feel incredibly uncomfortable. Sophia smiled wanly at him. Truth be told, Sophia had been on edge since they had left the cottage and it had put him on edge.

"Nothing is the matter, Ignotus; I am just busy with fixing up the cottage. I will help with the farm after I have finished there, I promise. I just need some time to mourn Antioch, we all do."

Cadmus wrapped his cloak tighter around him and hurried to his carriage. He was halfway up the road before anyone noticed he was gone. Ignotus shook his head. He had a very bad feeling that this was the last time he was going to see his brother alive.

As the weeks went on, Sophia became more and more agitated. She floated around the cottage listlessly. This put Cadmus on edge and about a month after the funeral he snapped.

"Sophia, for the love of all things magic, why will you not stay still!?" he roared from his chair, slamming his book on the table beside it. Sophia jumped.

"Sorry, I just feel-_wrong_-I can hear someone calling me," she said softly.

"Who?" Cadmus asked feeling suddenly tense.

"I do not know," Sophia said sadly. "The voice is so familiar and yet so very unfamiliar. It is very distant and quiet too."

"What are they saying?" Cadmus asked feeling a cold sweat forming on his face.

"Just Sophia, always Sophia," she said looking longingly outside. The leaves had started to change colors.

Cadmus could help but feel very nervous about what Sophia had said. Could it be…? No, he had not shown his sorry face since he and his brothers had defeated him. Yet Sophia was of his realm. She was not truly alive, though not truly dead anymore either.

He was brought out of his thoughts when Sophia sighed heavily watching the breeze play through the yellow leaves. He shook himself. He was being silly. Sophia just needed a distraction.

"Shall we go for a walk?" he asked standing up.

"No, I do not much feel like a walk," Sophia said morosely.

"You have been looking out that window all day sighing," Cadmus said irritably.

"No I have not; I have been deep in thought. I was looking at nothing in particular," Sophia said.

"How about a story then?" Cadmus asked picking up the parchment book he had thrown down earlier.

"No thank you," Sophia said. Cadmus huffed.

"You are being intentionally unhelpful. You have been nothing but a nuisance for days with your listless movements and your heavy sighs. It is like you do not want to be here! What do you want from me!" Cadmus yelled. Sophia's opaque eyes filled with opaque tears and her hands flew to her mouth.

Cadmus felt his heart clench. He had never yelled at her before. "Sophia, I am so sorry," he said kneeling by her but she stood abruptly.

"No, you are right," Sophia said as tears spilled down her face. I do not want to be here. I do not belong here. I feel so very out of place. I look and around and everything is so alive, you are so alive, and I am not. I cannot touch you, or kiss you, or help you with the household chores. I watch you sleep because I have no need, I long to eat the foods you eat every day. I cannot take it anymore!"

Cadmus could have kicked himself. He had been so selfish, so happy to have his Sophia back that he had not stopped to think about how all of this affected her.

"Sophia, I had no idea this hurt you so much!" he said sincerely.

"I know but I did not want to tell you for fear of hurting you again," Sophia said.

"This was not fair of me to do to you. I do not want you to suffer. I love you too much to do that to you. So I am going to let you go," Cadmus said pulling the Stone out of his pocket. He had not let it leave his person since Sophia had appeared. Something had told him it was how Sophia stayed with him.

"You would do that for me?" Sophia asked.

"I would die for you, Sophia," Cadmus said. "I love you."

"I love you too," Sophia said. "Good-bye Darling,"

"Good-bye," Cadmus said and he dropped the Stone. The moment it hit the floor she vanished. Cadmus fell to his knees and sobbed. It was late afternoon when he finally got up. He walked outside to the shed and found a wooden stool and some rope. He tied the rope to the rafters in the shed and then tied a loop on the other end. He carved a short message in the wall climbed on the stool. He placed the loop around his neck.

"I am coming, Sophia," he said before kicking the stool out from under his feet. He had imagined suffocating to be painful but he never expected it to be this bad. Something in his neck snapped and sent a searing pain through his back. He gasped for air, his hands grabbing at the rope even though he knew it was pointless and that he didn't want to live. His feet flailed below him and he began to see bubbles of color in his vision. It was long before he blacked out.

When he opened his eyes he was still in the shed. He blinked and took a step forward. It hadn't worked. He was still here. He glanced down; the rope was no longer around his neck. He turned around and yelled out, nearly falling over at the grotesque sight before him. His body was dangling from the rafters. Blood dribbled from his mouth and his eyes were almost comically bulging from his head. His skin had a strange hue to it and he looked incredibly stiff.

"So we meet again, Cadmus," a deep voice said. Cadmus jumped again when he realized there was a dark figure standing behind his body. It was Death.

"I do not understand," Cadmus said weakly.

"Thou took thine own life what is there to not understand? In thine grief thou made a rash decision and now thou belongs to me. Come, Cadmus, thine heart awaits thee." Death opened a bright portal and began to walk through it.

"I beg your pardon?" Cadmus asked. Death stopped in his tracks.

"Thou dost not belong in this world. Come, thou must join the ranks of the dead," Death started back into the portal. Cadmus took one last look at his body before hurrying after Death. He had to find Sophia.

_And so Death took the second brother for his own. _


	4. The Third Brother

**A/N: As always, I don't own Harry Potter or The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Hoping for more reviews please! ~dinosoprano**

Ignotus had waited long enough. He needed to know why Cadmus had suddenly locked himself away from the world. If it had anything to do with that ridiculous Stone, Ignotus would personally find Death and give him a piece of his mind. When he arrived at the cottage he knew immediately that something was wrong. Crows circled the fields and a few vultures were perched in the tall trees. Ignotus felt his skin grow cold.

He leapt off his horse and ran into the cottage. There was a layer of dust on everything. Cadmus had been in the cottage for weeks. Ignotus felt his chest tighten. _Please not Cadmus too_ he thought desperately as he ran back outside.

"Cadmus!" he shouted. "Cadmus!"

His voice startled a fox out of the shed and it bolted for the safety of the woods. Ignotus cocked his head and slowly made his way to the shed. He opened the door all the way and hit but the most disgusting smell he had ever smelled. He shouted and backed into the door when he saw the desiccated body hanging from the rafters. Although the clothes were tattered and torn, Ignotus could never mistake them for anyone but Cadmus' flashy wardrobe. He launched himself out of the shed and out into the fresh air. He collapsed on the ground and immediately heaved up his breakfast. He wiped his mouth with shaking hands. He tried to pull himself together but he soon burst into gut wrenching sobs.

He had always expected Antioch to meet a sticky end. He was just too pig-headed not to but Cadmus…Cadmus was supposed to be the level-headed one. He was supposed to be the one who out-lived everyone. Ignotus wrapped his arms around his knees and pulled them to his chest trying to control his tears and breathing.

Some hours later his father came looking for him. He found him with his head leaning against a tree breathing slowly in and out, his eyes closed. He walked over to him and touched his shoulder. Ingotus' eyes snapped open.

"Father," he said in a raspy voice. His father was shocked to see his bloodshot eyes.

"Ignotus, what is wrong? Where is Cadmus?"

Ignotus swallowed visibly and pointed. "In the shed,"

His father stood and walked into the shed. Ignotus heard him curse and saw him storm out with his nose covered.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded sitting down shakily.

"He hung himself," Ignotus said.

"Obviously, but why?" his father asked.

"Sophia," Ignotus said quietly.

"What?" his father said looking at him.

"He carved a message into the wall. For Sophia," Ignotus whispered.

"Sophia has been dead for sixteen years, why snap and hang himself now?" his father snapped. Ignotus sighed.

"Because he saw her," Ignotus said. "He has not been alone these past few months. He had been with Sophia."

"Have you gone mad?" his father asked. Ignotus shook his head. He pulled a shiny stone from his pocket.

"Ask him yourself, all you have to do is turn the Stone three times and he will appear to you."

"You have gone mad, all three of you have gone mad!" his father shouted.

"Perhaps we have," Ignotus said looking at the Stone in anger. He stood up and launched it into the woods. "God help whatever poor soul picks that stone up."

"Go home Ignotus, tell your mother what has happened. I will take care of the body," his father said looking at him warily. Ignotus nodded and climbed onto his brown stallion. Without a word of departure, Ignotus wheeled his horse around and galloped home. A dark figure watched him leave before vanishing into the shadows.

It was nearly forty years before I saw Ignotus Peverell again. After his brother's deaths I was sure his tender heart could not bear the losses. He was so much more frail than his brothers. But he surprised me again and again. First, he arranged both their funerals, he continued to help run the farm until one day he vanished. I could not see him anywhere. His parents searched frantically for him.

He was not in any of the nearby towns and no one had seen him come or go from any of them. He just didn't seem to exist anymore. I knew he was alive, I would have seen him had he perished somewhere. It wasn't until I had gone to a little Welsh village near the English border that I discovered had had become of the boy.

A dog had been run over by a horse cart and I had to put it out of its' misery when Ignotus, albeit much older, beat me to it. He pulled his wand out as he spoke soothingly to the whimpering animal. He waved his wand and I could feel the animal slipping from my grasp. It sat up and began licking Ignotus, his tail wagging faster than was physically possible.

Ignotus laughed and petted the dog happily. He glanced up and saw me. His look said it all. _I beat you again. I will never let you take another life if I can save it. _I nodded to him conceding defeat. Ignotus nodded too and stood the dog following closely behind. I smiled to myself. Perhaps Ignotus was stronger than I had first believed.

Three years later I ran into him again. He was with a beautiful woman and two small children at the market. I was there to pick up Douglas Malthus, the butcher, who had caught yellow fever. I had not expected to see Ignotus again for some time but I could not help but be pleased that he had a family. He kissed the woman and the children before going into the butcher's shop. I crinkled my brow and quickly followed him inside. Douglas Malthus lay on his cot covered in a sheen of sweat. Ignotus was leaning over him whispering words of comfort. Douglas was nearly gone. His eyes were glazed over and when he rolled his head over he spotted me and began to panic. Most people never noticed me until they were on death's door.

"I command you to leave," Ignotus said quietly stepping between me and Douglas. Ignotus had let his hair grow long and he now had a beard.

"Hello, Ignotus," I said pleasantly. "Congratulations on the lovely family.

"Leave them be," he said angrily.

"Gladly," I said. "This man cannot recover, I must take him," I said. "Best not to let him suffer any longer."

"What happened to your speech?" Ignotus asked trying to distract me. I chuckled.

"I was only using it to intimidate you," I sad. "Clearly, I no longer intimidate you. Now, please stand aside so I can do my job."

"Over my dead body," Ignotus whipping his cloak out and covering himself and Douglas. Immediately they vanished both physically and from my Death Sight. I sighed in frustration.

"You cannot hide forever Ignotus Peverell! Everyone dies!"

A hound howled in the distance and I cursed under my breath. Douglas would succumb eventually but for now I had others to take home.

The next time I saw Ignotus Peverell he was laying in his bed and his eldest son was kneeling beside it placing a cool cloth on his forehead. His skin was wrinkled and covered in age spots. His hair was nearly gone but his long beard remained. His time was nearing his end and we both knew it.

"Brigham," Ignotus said weakly.

"Do not speak Father, just rest," his son said tenderly cooling his forehead.

"There is something I would like to give you," Ignotus rasped.

"Father?" Brigham asked softly pausing in his task.

"In my trunk, there is a cloak," Ignotus began to cough. Once he was done he pointed a crooked hand again to his trunk. "It is made of a very light material. Pull it out."

Brigham did as he was told. He rifled through the trunk for a few minutes and pulled out the Invisibility Cloak. Brigham looked at in awe.

"Father, what is it?" he asked running his fingers over the smooth material.

"Try it on," Ignotus said. Brigham obeyed pulled over his shoulders and around his body. He yelled out and dropped the cloak when he realized his body was gone.

"Brigham! What is wrong!" an elderly lady, Mrs. Peverell, came rushing in.

"N-nothing," Brigham stuttered as Ignotus laughed before coughing again. Mrs. Peverell frowned.

"Do not do that again unless your father has died. You gave me a fright," she huffed bustling out of the room again. Brigham picked up the cloak again.

"Where did you get it?"

"From Death himself," Ignotus said. "And now I bequeath it to you. Use it wisely, and remember that when you wear it that even Death himself cannot find you."

"Why are you giving this to me?" Brigham said.

"You are my eldest. I believe this is a tradition worth starting. That Cloak is special. Take care of it. My will is in the bottom of my trunk. Tell everyone I love them."

"Father-" Brigham hurried to his bedside. "Do not go, we need you."

"I am an old man. I have lived for nearly 180 years, I think it is time I rest, do you not think? Have I not earned that right?"

"But Father-" Brigham tried again.

"No, I am tired. I am ready to go," Ignotus looked right at me.

"Who are you looking at?" Brigham asked looking right through me.

"Hello old friend," I said walking over to bed. "Time to go home."

"Yes, yes I do believe it is." Ignotus said reaching a feeble hand towards me.

"Father, what are you doing?" Brigham said. "Mother!" he shouted. Mrs. Peverell came bustling in just as I touched Ignotus' hand. His hand fell limp immediately and I pulled his spirit out.

"Ignotus?" Mrs. Peverell whispered gripping his hand. Ignotus watched his family from my side.

"He is gone," Brigham said tears spilling over.

"No!" Mrs. Peverell sobbed clutching his body.

"Come, Ignotus, there is nothing more you can do. It is time for you to rest," I said opening the portal to the land of the dead.

"How long does she have?" Ignotus asked.

"I do not know," I said. "I cannot see beyond a year so she has at least that much time."

Ignotus nodded and turned away. "Before we go, I must ask one question. Why did you give us those gifts? How did you know which of us would get which gift?"

"You were some of the most skillful wizards I have ever met and I knew that the gifts would be properly dispersed through you. I also knew what was in each of your hearts. Antioch was also hot-headed and eager to pick a fight. The Wand was perfect for him. As for Cadmus, I knew longed to see his Sophia again and while he never showed it outright, both you and I know how arrogant he was. If he could defeat Death once, why not twice by pulling someone back from beyond the grave? The Stone was perfect for him. Then there was you, the youngest by several years and far more humble than either of them. I got the chance to watch you use that Cloak to protect people. You became a Healer so no one would have to go through what you went through. Neither of your brothers could have handled that kind of power."

"Was I right to give it to Brigham?" Ignotus asked.

"He watched you take of people his whole life. I believe he will do the same. You raised your family well."

Ignotus nodded. "Thank you, I am ready to go home now."

_And he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life. _

**A/N: I hoped you all liked this story. I certainly enjoyed writing it! There's going to be one more chapter as well. Please leave reviews! **


	5. Epilogue

**A/N: And here is the last chapter! Hope you have enjoyed it so far and as always I don't own Harry Potter or the Tale of the Three Brothers! Reviews are most welcome!**

Ignotus' will contained the full story of how he came to be the man he was. He told his family exactly how he came across the cloak Brigham now possessed. He told them how his brothers were taken in by their lavish gifts and had perished because of them. He told them to be careful as they used the Cloak and to only use it for good.

I watched Ignotus family through the generations and each eldest son took it and cherished it well. Not one of them misused it (at least not horrifically) and hardly anyone knew it existed. (The last of the family I saw with the cloak used it to pull pranks while at school and frankly, there was far worse he could have been doing.) In fact, the Tale of the Three Brothers became a family story that eventually turned into one of those fairy tales. By that time it was so plucked and picked through the story was barely recognizable.

As for the Resurrection Stone, Cadmus Peverell's son, Geoffrey found it and believed it to be a cut stone. He put in a ring and gave it to lady in the nearby town he had been courting. The ring was then passed down through his family. It became a precious family heirloom and was kept in tip top condition. It stayed in the family clear up till a young man came and stole it from his uncle.

As for the Wand, it left a bloody trail in its wake. I collected so many people from that Wand that I almost thought it was a mistake to let it go. Especially when World War II took its toll and two very powerful wizards battled it out win possession of the Wand. One of them should have died but the winner simply threw the loser in his own prison and left it at that. I almost believed that the killing would stop, that the Wand's trail would end with him. Then that young blonde wizard disarmed him and everything went to hell. Thankfully he didn't seem to know what he had done.

I began to grow uneasy as I realized that this war in the wizarding war was being fought over Horcruxes and worse, Hallows. The two at the heart of the war were the only living descendents of Cadmus and Ignotus. I grew increasingly nervous as the snake man learned more and the scarred boy still sat in his tent as clueless as ever. Never more did I wish in that moment that living persons could see me without being frightened to Death. The Peverell's had been lucky I was as young as I was. They had only been stunned for a few hours.

My anxiety grew to record levels when the snake man found the Elder Wand. While it wouldn't work for him the way he hoped, he was still powerful. It was only a matter of time before the scarred boy realized he had the other two. I could only relax when I reminded myself that the scarred boy had disarmed the blonde boy and was now the true owner of the Elder Wand. The snake man would be unable to fight the scarred boy with it.

I sincerely hoped I read the scarred boy well and that he certainly had no desire to be Master of Death. His only desire seemed to be that he only wished to be left alone to live a quiet life. I couldn't blame him. His life had been rather rough. When the battle ended and the scarred boy held all three Hallows I couldn't help but tense. Then he did the last thing I expected of any human even though I had been reading into his motives through the night. He left the Resurrection Stone in the woods to be trampled into the earth and never touched again. He locked the Eder Wand up in the Headmaster's office and took the Invisibility Cloak to bed with him. I was forcefully reminded of Ignotus Peverell and I couldn't help but smile. He had denied me access twice, just as Ignotus had.

For the first time in several hundred years I felt at ease.


End file.
